French import Andrea Mantegna is one of two Darren Weir trained stayers among the nominations for the Group 3 $250,000 Sky Racing Hobart Cup (2400m) at Hobart on Sunday.

Dee I Cee, above, is among the nominations for the 2018 Hobart Cup at Hobart. Photo by Steve Hart.

Dee I Cee, above, is among the nominations for the 2018 Hobart Cup at Hobart. Photo by Steve Hart.

Andrea Mantegna is last start winner on the Morphettville Parks course over 2250m on January 27 while his stablemate Night’s Watch, who is also among the fourteen Hobart Cup nominations, is coming off a last start win over 2000m in an Open Handicap at Caulfield on January 27.

Weir‘s stable representative Darryn Murphy was on hand at Caulfield for the former New Zealand trained gelding’s win and was impressed with his acceleration when apprentice Ben Allen pressed the go button.

“He’s really enjoying his life at the farm – he came back from Darren’s new farm at Maldon,” Murphy told racing.com.

“He’s got a really good turn of foot that we witnessed then. The main thing is he gets him to cover up.”

Night’s Watch’s Caulfield win was the four year old’s fifth for the Weir stable since arriving from New Zealand while Andrea Mantegna has won three times on Australian soil for Victoria’s leading trainer.

Leading Tasmanian trainer Scott Brunton has nominated his consistent galloper Earl Da Vinci who has been placed at his last four starts which followed back to back Launceston wins.

Earl Da Vinci is coming off a last start second in a 2100m BenchMark 68 Handicap at Launceston on January 31.

The powerful Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Dee I Cee is also nominated for the Hobart Cup.

Dee I Cee has race fitness on his side with a fourth two starts back to Singing in the Listed $150,000 Gosford Quarries Gold Cup (2100m) at Gosford on January 18 followed by a second in the Listed $150,000 Australia Day Cup (2400m) at Warwick Farm on January 26.

Adelaide trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas have nominated recent Flemington winner Pretty Punk while the Barry Campbell trained Eastender is a last start Hobart winner over 2100m.

Nominations for the 2018 Hobart Cup (2400m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight Hcp Rating
1 4x886x7351 FASTNET DRAGON G 7 Charlie Goggin & Luella Meaburn 1 54kg 88
2 31271×4121 EASTENDER G 4 Barry Campbell 2 54kg 82
3 01784×8542 DEE I CEE (NZ) G 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 3 59kg 99
4 00002954×4 BERISHA G 6 Robert Hickmott 4 58.5kg 98
5 214×432114 PRETTY PUNK M 4 Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas 5 55.5kg 96
6 x116412141 NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ) G 4 Darren Weir 6 56kg 93
7 48×6745232 GEEGEES GOLDENGIRL M 6 Stuart Gandy 7 54kg 91
8 4366×31265 SHOREHAM G 8 Saab Hasan 8 54kg 88
9 90×7700843 UP CUPS G 7 Rhonda Mangan 9 54kg 87
10 4138561361 BRILLIANT JET G 5 Aiden Nunn 10 54kg 85
11 9162326241 ANDREA MANTEGNA (USA) H 5 Darren Weir 11 54kg 83
12 7003300×76 SETTLER’S STONE G 6 Troy Blacker 12 54kg 80
13 13121×6515 SPEED FORCE G 5 Bill Ryan 13 54kg 78
14 46x1x12232 EARL DA VINCI (NZ) G 6 Scott Brunton 14 54kg 68

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